Dungeon Master II: The Legend of Skullkeep

FTL Games

Industry	Video game development
Headquarters	United States
Products	Dungeon Master II: The Legend of Skullkeep

Dungeon Master II: The Legend of Skullkeep, alternatively titled Dungeon Master II: Skullkeep, serves as the follow-up to the dungeon crawler role-playing video game Dungeon Master. Created by FTL Games and distributed by Interplay Productions, the initial release occurred in Japan in 1993, followed by a global launch in 1995. This title was made available on a variety of systems, including DOS, Amiga, Macintosh, Sega CD, PC-9801, PC-9821, DOS/V, and FM Towns.

Development

In 1994, Wayne Holder from FTL revealed that although they contemplated implementing a free-movement engine akin to Doom or Ultima Underworld for Dungeon Master II ("not particularly difficult to achieve"), their preference was to focus on puzzle-driven gameplay. Holder described free-movement as "tedious" and believed it complicated the design of puzzles.

Platform comparison

Graphics: Notable distinctions exist between the DOS and Amiga editions. For example, animation sequences during the title and ending differ, as do the visuals of various items. Despite being marketed as an AGA title, the Amiga version operates in 32 color mode under the ECS, making it compatible with Amiga 600 systems equipped with 2MB RAM. Conversely, the DOS edition utilizes 256 color VGA graphics. The PC-9821 supports a 256-color palette, whereas the PC-9801 employs dithered graphics within its color range.

Screen layouts: The Macintosh release provides users with two display configurations: standard and compact.

Music: Audio tracks differ based on platform; the PC version uses MIDI, the Amiga relies on MODules, and the Sega CD incorporates CD Audio music.

Reception

Dungeon Master II experienced mixed critical responses and did not achieve strong sales. The Sega CD iteration was critiqued by GamePro for its dependence on the Sega Mouse due to its point-and-click mechanics, as well as for gameplay features such as managing illumination and food resources. Nevertheless, the enemy artificial intelligence received commendation for its sophistication and lifelike behavior.

The PC version faced negative remarks from Next Generation, which acknowledged a "refreshingly different magic system" but regarded much of the content as outdated relative to the original Dungeon Master, resulting in a rating of two out of five stars.

In contrast, The One awarded the Amiga edition a high score of 93%, praising its immersive atmosphere and 3D audio effects. Although they considered FTL's attempt at smoother movement inferior compared to contemporary Doom-style games, they highlighted Dungeon Master II's more complex gameplay, concluding it was "an excellent game well worthy of its high scores."

Reviews

• Australian Realms #26

External links

• Dungeon Master II: The Legend of Skullkeep at Dungeon Master Encyclopaedia